Machines, such as wheel loaders, excavators, track type tractors, on-highway trucks, and other types of machines are often equipped with sensors for determining various operating parameters of the machines. The operating parameters may include, for example, engine speed, payload, ground speed, work cycle, global position, and the like. Processors and communication devices may be provided in the machine for receiving the operating parameters, processing data associated with the operating parameters, and communicating the processed data to an off-board system for evaluation of the machine's performance. Conventionally, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) or unmanned aerial devices are employed to communicate with the machine for various purposes, such as surveillance. In such cases, auxiliary devices are used in addition to the UAV to gather operational parameters from the machine. As such, the additional auxiliary devices render a process of gathering and processing the operational parameters complex.
US Patent Publication Number 2013/0233964, hereinafter referred to as the '964 application, describes a tethered unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) outfitted with a sensor payload for data gathering. The tethered UAV is tethered to a ground station for constricting the flight space of the UAV while also providing the option for power delivery and/or bidirectional communications. The tethered UAV's flight path is extended by introducing one or more secondary UAVs that cooperate to extend the horizontal flight path of a primary UAV. The ground station, which is coupled to the tethered aerial vehicle, includes a listening switch configured to determine the condition of the tether such that the supply of power to the tether is terminated when tether damage or a tether severance is detected.